Apparatus for sealing crevices in rock formations or the like



June 4, 1929.

G. W. CHRISTIANS APPARATUS FOR SEALING CREVICES IN ROCK FORMATIONS 0RTHE LIKE Filed Sept. 11 1926 I 2 Sl'leets-Sheekl 3mm/Wo@ n 516km? June4, 1929, G. w. CHRISTIANS 1.715.592

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CREVICES IN ROCK FRMTIONS OR THE LIKE Filed Sep-11. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 55 1 screen 4. The pipe 3 has itsoutletconneeted Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED STATES GEORGE W. CHRISTIANS, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

y .APPARATUS FOR SEALING CREVIGES IN ROCK FORMATIONS OR THE'LIKE.

Application led September 11, 1926.

' This invention relates to the sealing of subterraneous crevices. In myPatents 1,327,268 and 1,327,269, dated J an. 6, 1920, a method andapparatus are disclosed for use 1n seahng crevices in rock formationsand the like. In my system, a pipe is inserted in a hole which extendsto the crevice,'and hot asphalt or the like is pumped through this pipe.For theV purpose of maintaining the sealing material in heated conditionwhileit is travelling through the pipe, a heating wire arranged withinthe pipe. This heating wire is held 1n the middle of the pipe by spacersof insulating material, as the pipe itself forms part of the electriccircuit which includes the heating wire. I have found, in practice, thatit is very difficult to preventl short cirouiting within the pipe at thepoints where the spacers are' located, as conducting particles carriedby the asphalt are liable to lodge on the spacers and eventually bridgethe gap between the heating wire and the inner surface of the pipe.Therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention is toprovidenovelmeans for holding the heating wire at the axis of the pipeand for preventing short circuiting while permitting free flow of thehot asphalt through the pipe.`

Another object of the invention is to pro,- vide the pipe with a specialform of insulated stuffing box adapted to permit the' passage of theheating wire through theY upperV end of the pipe without allowing anyasphalt to escape at this point. Y v The invention is illustrated in thea'eco panying drawings, in which, Y y. Fig. 1 is a side view partly in'section ofthe 'complete apparatus. i Y Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontalsectional view of the feeding pipe, taken through one lof the joints andon line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view takenon line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the spacers.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the stufli'ing box arranged atthe top of the feeding p1 e. Y

1Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Figs. 7 and 8 are vertical sectional views of elements of the stulingbox.

In the drawings, 1 designates akettle heated by burners or the like 2'.Asphalt or similar thermo-plastic material is fed into this kettle andas it is heated, it runs olf through the gravity feed pipe 3, beingstrained by a within the pipe. tached in F ig.'` 4, and it consists of ashort bar, Vformed of lava, porcelain kor other insulatrial 21, such asplaster of Paris.

Serial No. 134,921.

to the intake of a pump 5, which forces the hot as shown at 11, and atthe commencement of operations, a canvas wrapping is placed around theperforated portion 'of the pipe. When suilicient resistance isencountered, the pump 5 will cause the asphalt in the pipe 7 to puncturetheoanvas, so that the asphalt will flow into the crevices to be sealed.This canvas wrapping forms no part of the present invention and istherefore not illustrated.

The thermo-plastic material will be maintained in heated condition whileit flows through the pipe 7 bymeans of an electric heating wire 12. Thiswire has its lower end Vconnectedv at 13 to almetal yplug 14 which Vis-in electrical connection with the lower end of thel pipe. The wire,however, is held out of contact with the remainder of the pipe, so thatthe pipe maybe used as a part of the circuit for the electriccurrentflowing through the i heating wire l2. Theelectric current may bemetallic couplings 17, and at each point where the coupling is locatedVa spacer 18 is arranged This spacer is shown deing material, providedwith a central aperture 1'9 and curved'ends 20. The length of the spacer18'i's ,aboutthe same as the internal diameter of the coupling 17, andit is preferably tion by some suitable plastic insulating mate- Asclearly shown in Figs. 2 and3 of the drawings, this plastic insulatingmateriall is arranged as a coating to form an internal ring within the,coupling 17, which ring covers the portions *of the threads of thecoupling which are notl 'engaged with the threads of the pipe sections.

Immediately above the spacer 18, the plastic Vinsulating material 21 isextended inwardly as shown at 22 to cover portions of the upper face ofthe spacer between the hole 19 and the ends 20. These projections 22have inverted V-shaped upper surfaces so as to guide the asphalt as itflows downwardly and to presecured in the coupling in a horizontalposivent it from lodging on the upper side of the spacer. My idea is topermit ready flow of the asphalt, but at the same time, shape the partsin such manner that no conducting particles will lodge on the insulator,which would be liable .toca-use a short circuit.

The heating wire 12 extends through the holes 19 of the spacers and ismore or less` freely arranged in the holes, so that the Wire maybe kepttaut by `springs 23 which have their upper ends secured at 24 to somefixed point, and have their lower ends connected to the wire by aniiisulator25. Due to this construction, the wire will be maintained atthe center of the pipe and there will be no liability of shortcircuiting.

' 'Iheimproved stuffingv box, which I will -now describe, also functionsto keep the wire at the center of the pipe, and to permit the wiretoexitfromA the pipe-'without leakage of asphalt. As the pump forces theasphalt into the pipe 7 under considerable pressure,

` it is obvious that the asphalt will tend to leak at the upper part ofthe pipe. Furthermore, as the wire 12 must extend through the upper endof the pipe in such a way that itmay be maintained taut by the springs23, itis apparent that ,a special form of stufing box is necessary. Thestuffing box which I have devised for this purpose comprises a cup26having threads at its lower portion .to engage internal threads at theupper end of the pipe, as shown at 27 in Fig. 5. The bottom of the cupis aperture-d at 28 to receive an insulating-bushing 29 formed of anysuitable material; The bushing has an annular flange 30 which rests onVthe bottom of the cup, and also engages the inner ysurface of -thecup topreventleakage of asphalt at these points; Y

Within the cup I'place on,A topvof the bushing, an asbestos or r othersuitable packing 31, and' above the packing,*I arrange an insulat- Vingbushing 324 which is similar to the bushing A29, but is inverted solthat its flange bears against the under side of an adjusting sleeve 33.YThis sleeve has external threads 34; which engage internal threads 35inthev upper por'- tion of the cup, and the upper end of the sleeve Vhasa hexagonal surface 36 to receive 'a Wrench, used to adjust the sleeve.A third bushing 87 similar to the bushing '29 is' arranged at thek upperend of the sleeve, and the heating wireY 12 extends' through thebushings and packing with a vsnug sliding fit, so that the wire may bemaintained taut and the asphalt prevented from leaking out through thestuilingv box.

I ain aware that changesV may be made in the details which I havedisclosed without sacrificing anyV of the advantages of the invention,and I claim. all modifications falling within the scope of the followingclaims.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is materialarranged jin'the pipe'jat the place where the'bar is located.' n *Y 3. Aspacer as claimed in claim 1 including ridges'of insulating materialarranged on the upper face of the bar at opposite sides of the middleofthe same.

y 4. In astructure of' thecharacter de'- scribed, a pipe formed of aplurality of sec'- tions,'a coupling 'connecting adjacent ends 'of' thesections, said sections fand coupling being `of"e lectricity`conductingmaterial, a 'ring of insulating material lining the pipe and locatedbetween'the adjacent ends ofthe pipe sections, and a cross bar ofinsulating Y material located in the'coupling between the endsof thering and having a centrally disi posed aperture', adapted to receive acu-rrent conducting wire.

5. Incombin'ation, 'a pipeof electricity lconducting material, a ringof'insulating material arranged within theV pipe, a cross lbar ofvinsulating material arranged 'between the ends of the ring andYhaving'an aperture ladapted to receive a current conducting wire,

said cross' bar having its sides spaced.' fr om theinnersurface'ofopposite sides; of the ring to provide aplurality ofrelatively rlargie openings capable of permitting the ready flowVoffluid' through thel pipe.

I 6. combination as claimed in claim 5, in i which ridges of insulatingmaterial are arranged on the upper face of the cross/bar to facilitatethe passage of fluid' through the pipe..

7. A combination as claimed in'claim', in

which the ring is formedf'of'plastic material,

and the cross bar has curved end' surfaces. 8; 'In combination, asectional' pipe having threaded couplings connecting the sections,

the sections and couplings being formed of lining rings arranged in thecouplings be'- Vtween the ends of the sections, and barsI ofjelectricity conducting i material, insulating ing their ends connectedto saidrings, said bars having abutment surfaces adapted vto hold acurrent conducting wire away from ythe inner surface of the pipe.4

9. A combination as claimed, in claim 8', in Y j which ridges ofinsulating material integral with the rings are arranged.4 on the uppersurfaces ofthe cross bars to facilitate the passage 'the pipe across theinterior of the latter to of fluid through the pipe. the inner surfaceof the same, the spaces be l0. Means for spacing an electric heatingtween the sides of the arms and the innei` 10 wire from the Wall of ametal pipe through surface of the pipe being unobstructed, and 5 whichthe Wire extends, said means comprisabutment surfaces at the inner endsof the 1 ing a spacer including insulating arms eX- arms to bear againstsaid heating element.

tending radially from the central portion of GEORGE W. CHRISTIANS.

